[I'j'' 1 Hart, Eiiralypis about Crcsivick and dunes. 89 



Immediately to the south-east of Qunes there are very few 

 trees remaining on the basalt, and the change of species noticed 

 may have been originally not quite so abrupt. The three 

 eucaly])ts just mentioned are absent from the higher plain and 

 also from the l)edrock areas about Creswick. (The eucalypts 

 of the valley above the State Nm'sery at Creswick may be all 

 regarded as planted.) 



In the plains about North Creswick the following species 

 occur : — E. ovata {E. paludosa). Swamp Gum, E. coriacea. White 

 Sallee, E. rubida, Candlebark, E. nielliodora. Yellow Box, 

 Acacia melanoxylon, Blackwood, Banksia mayginata. Silver 

 Banksia. A few miles to the north there are also Acacia 

 mollissiina. Black Wattle, and Casiiarina qiiadrivalvis. Drooping 

 Sheoak. Except the last two, these are also found near 

 Creswick off the bluestone, but the Banksia is not common, 

 and White Sallee appears to occur in these bedrock areas only 

 just off the volcanic country, a couple of trees in the valley 

 above the nursery being no doubt planted. The trees on the 

 parts of the plain hitherto dealt with are scattered and wind- 

 beaten. 



The high-level, volcanic country east of Creswick, about 

 Spring Mount, Newlyn, and Dean, was closely forested in its 

 natural condition, as seen by the tall, straight stems of some 

 trees still remaining. Swamp Gum, Candlebark, and White 

 SaUee occur, the same species as on the lower level at North 

 Creswick, but of better growth. E. obliqua occurs on Spring 

 Mount, a volcanic hill. The trees of Mount Warrenheip, south 

 of the Divide, are mostly E. obliqua, E. viminalis, and Black- 

 woods. The Silver Wattle, A . dealbata, also occurs on the high 

 volcanic country. All the trees of this area are also found on 

 adjacent bedrock or alluvial areas, with the limitation as before 

 — that White Sallee extends only just off the volcanic soils so 

 far as noted. The Yellow Box, present on the basalt at 

 North Creswick, does not occur on these higher areas, but 

 neither does it ascend above about 1,500 feet in the ranges. 

 In passing, it may be noticed that the success of the Ballarat 

 Water Commissioners in growing pines on volcanic soil was 

 obtained on the high-level lands on the south side of the 

 Divide at elevations over 1,700 feet and with a rainfall over 

 34 inches. 



The Bedrock Country. — The soil of the bedrock country is 

 derived from the waste of the sandstones and slates which 

 form the underlying rocks, with quartz fragments from the 

 veins. Where the slopes are steep the lighter plant debris 

 and finer soil particles are easily moved down the hillside, and 

 the soil is, as a rule, deeper, richer, and more retentive of 

 moisture on the lower slopes and in the valleys, except where 



I 



